The BEST Challah French Toast Recipe (2024)

Made with thick slices of challah bread, dipped in a rich egg custard flavored with honey and orange zest, this really is the best french toast recipe! Serve Challah French Toast topped with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or berries and enjoy for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert!

We especially love this French toast recipe using our homemade challah bread, which makes 2 loaves so you have extra. Although it never lasts long!

The Best French Toast Recipe

Breakfast foods are my absolute favorite – I could serve it for all the meals, honestly. Ranking at the top are any type of eggs and also French toast. But not just any french toast.

This challah French toast is next level. Instead of flimsy, flavorless white bread, this recipe is made with thick slices of sweet, pillow-y homemade challah (or as seen in the pictures, chocolate challah) dipped in a rich eggy custard, flavored with honey and orange zest, then cooked until golden and crisp. Add some real maple syrup, powdered sugar, and berries, and this is THE breakfast recipe!

French Toast Ingredients

This breakfast recipe uses the ingredients you may expect plus a few extras to create the perfect flavored custard.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Challah bread – You can buy a loaf of challah at your local bakery or make our homemade challah bread recipe – DO IT! A day-old loaf is essential. Fresh bread will turn to mush in the custard.
• Eggs – The main ingredient for the custard.
• Milk – I prefer whole milk but 2% will also work.
• Vanilla extract – For flavor.
• Orange zest – Adds a wonderful, light citrus undertone.
• Honey – Sweetens the batter just a bit.
• Salt – To balance out the other flavors.
• Unsalted butter – To pan fry the bread slices.
• For serving – I like to serve this with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and fresh berries. It’s also amazing with a little whipped maple butter!

What Type of Bread is Best for French Toast?

Challah and brioche are hands-down the best bread for French toast. They’re both thick and sturdy with a tender, pillow-y crumb and enriched with eggs and butter, which pairs so well with the rich custard each slice soaks in.

Other varieties like sourdough, French bread, and even Texas Toast will work too if that’s all you can find. You can even get creative by using flavored bread, like chocolate challah, cinnamon challah, or even chocolate babka!

Whatever variety of bread you choose to use, it’s best to use day-old bread that has dried out a bit and slices should be 3/4 to 1-inch thick.

How to Make French Toast

Making the best French toast isn’t difficult. Here’s how to do it:
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions, and don’t miss the video below.)

• Make the custard. Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, orange zest, honey, and salt.
• Soak the bread. Soak as many slices of bread as you can in the custard for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip once. Repeat with remaining slices while the first batch is cooking.
• Cook the slices. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet until bubbly. Remove the bread from the custard, letting excess liquid drip off. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden.
• Repeat. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan in a 250 degrees F preheated oven just to keep warm, while you repeat the process for all slices.
• Serve. Serve French toast hot with your favorite toppings.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips to ensure you make the best challah French toast.

• Use day old bread. The best bread for this recipe is day old bread that has dried out a bit. Warm or fresh bread will just turn to mush sitting in the custard.
• Use thick slices. The bread should be 3/4 to 1-inch thick for the same reason, so that it doesn’t turn to mush.
• Don’t have the heat too high. While you do want the skillet hot, you also don’t want the slices to burn as soon as they hit the surface. Each slice should take a few minutes to ensure that the egg custard cooks completely. Otherwise, you may end up with a soggy center and crisp outside.
• Work in batches. Instead of trying to squeeze as many slices as possible onto the skillet, it’s best to leave space between each slice and cook in batches.
• Keep slices warm in the oven. I always preheat the oven to 250F and place the cooked slices of toast on a baking sheet in the oven to stay warm while I continue cooking the others.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

French toast is best when enjoyed immediately. However, leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days, tightly wrapped. Gently reheat on the stovetop to avoid making the slices too mushy. Leftover French toast custard can also be refrigerated for up to 2 days, which is perfect for making an additional batch or two the next morning.

Video: How to Make Challah French Toast

More Breakfast Recipes:

• Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
• Crepes
• Hash Brown Egg Casserole
• French Toast Casserole
• Cheese Blintz
• Absolute Best Bread Pudding
• Life Changing Scrambled Eggs

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onTikTok,Facebook,Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTube!